New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-29
Mr.. BALFOUR'S CRIMES BILL.
TT MEANS THAT IRELAND is TO BE GOV
ERNED WITH FIRM HAND.
TRIAL BY JURY TO BE ABOLISHED IN CERTAIN
CAsEs-THE NATIONAL LEAGUE THREATENED
THE MEASURE INTRODUCED IN THE CON-

cAsRs-THE NATIONAL LEAGUE THREATENED
THE MEASURE INTRODUCED IN THE CON-
MONS BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY.
LONDON March 28-ln the House of Commons
this evening w. II. smth, the Government leader,
intimated that the Government had decided to ask
the House to pass the second reading OF the lr1sh
Criminal Law Amendment bill before proposing
Che usual Easter holidays lCheers and counter
eheers The Government, said Mr. Smith, dls-
svoved any intention to menace the House, Dut
thew wished the members to understand that inc
measure was vital to order in Ireland. that IL was
Sne upon which the Government staked their exist
hce and was more important than the hohuay"
Mr.. Balfour Chief Secretary for Ireland, then
moved the first reading of the Irish Criminal Law
Amendment bill In doing go he referred to the
terms of Mr. Parnelps proposed amendment to the
bill. in which the Irish leader contends that the
House should obtain further information about the
eondition of Ireland. Mr. BalfOur thought tho Par
nellites were sufficiently informed of the state OF
their country and should recognize Irish anarchy as
IN artificer recognizes his own work. The Govern-
hent did not rest the case statistics OF agrarlan
Fimes They took the view that the amount
Of crime must be considered In conjunction WIN
rs causes and character. The amount was shown IN
Tho fact that Mt the present moment there were 4oo
persons in Munster. 175 in Connaught aud Zol IN
leinser under police protection. The law had been
ordinary law.
Here Mr. Balfour read number OF charges made
by judges to grand jurcs showing that the number
of persons actually charged bore no relation to the
amount of crime. Boycotting and intimidation, ne
said, were rampant in that part of the country
most disturbed. The men who gave this testimony
were not partisans. Parnete cries Of dissentl The
paralysis of the courts of law was an evil necessary
to be specially checked II from the difficulty
;lo,o ol ifpaps m
755 cases 422 injured parties so terrified that
they refused to appear. When evidence was OBJ
tanned iuries declined in the clearest cases. to
lonyict. Here he adduced long list OF cases I'D
which the juTies had dsregarded the evidence pre-
sented, and asked if it was to be wondered at
when the national press pointed out the
iurymen giving verdict and Deid them
I'D to public reprObation and secret vengeance.
Those persons desiring the separation OF Ireland
were ready to attain their object by the exercise OF
svowed terrorism. The jury system thus became
mpr acticable. [Parnelite laughterl. The place
which the law ought to fill was occupied by the
National League The members OF the League
relied upon secret societies, dynamite ana the
dagger the object Of which was the bringing aoont
of state of anarchy by means of assassination. IL
was an absura travesty of the facts, he declared
to say that the League had any resemblance 10
trades unions The initial policy of the League
u
with the destruction of the constitution.
The sneak or then proceeded to give instances OF
HOY cottnp but was repeatedly interrupted by de-
mauds from the Parnetes for the names oil tie
persons boycotted. He declined, however, to g'Vo
names unless the persons ere beyond tile reach
OF members Of the Leigue.
Mr. Baifour next read extracts from Cnttd ire
land disclosing the extent of the system OF terrorz-
ing He said that the latest oficia: return shower
ut uere
the League. In many districts tenant-rght mao
become vaiueloss because no seing Gi sau No
tyranny, however cruel, could compare with the
anarchy resulting from the existence OF the League
Coming to the proposals OF the bill, he stated
that the Government had borrowed provision
irom the Scotch system giving magistrates power
Ia sxamius witnesses on OATH evcn when no persons
are charged with crime. 10 meet the dlihcuIty oI
sysiem altoge ther lcheers and counter cheers for
certain classes of crime, giving the magistrate us
diction. with power to impose ns cppmin.
conspiracy, bJycOtting riotinR o1ences uhuoi tno
Wlrteb1y acts assault on officers OF the Jaw, lot
ribe ard unlawful possession, and IN cases Oh ri, 10
citemcnt of the foregoing offences. lCteers Inc
Government did not propose 10 lnteileIe VIII tno
liberty OF the PRESS but they nopou .as ~ fns
incitIng offences they would be able to prevent
the pres. sharing in crimes co,,,,.n. nousr ~
change the venue of trial for grave- Offences Inc
government felt the difficulty connected with the
proposed that the Attorneys-General OF England
md Ireland in oil grave crimes snou!a certIy
vhru fairer trial Gould 10 nad ~ ~ HaSa
pf a change of venue III Ireland, tn~ LIisi snou'u
ee held IN England Cries IRON the PaIneiliies:
What part of England III Irish counsel, he aadoa,
scrs 10 be allowed TO appear in English courts
,Parnelte laughterl, aud tie State would pro%viae %
he funds for the Desos osncss
such az treason. treason feoLy ana soGti9us Hpo''
were excluded from the provisions OF inc Dlii
Il. s,.l rio md ~ "a
tenpt to murder aggravated crimes OF violence
and arson In AL cases the bli applied pS Sn,y Eo 20
fnrti,er powers to proclaim dangerous societies
found to be disturbing peace and ORDER. proc.a-
nation directed against a society wouiu DO ; nuU-
nittsd to Parliament within seven days after issu'
auce and if Paliancnt condemned 1t, the procla-
nation would Se dropped The Government pro
ES'sein sim,isa insi % !1s 6sea ESsis ims Cheers "
Mr. Balfour concluded by declaring that IL vas
in the of liberty that the rsaed
was groaning.
DILLON WILLING TO GO TO WAR
Mr. Dillon followed Mr. Bafour He said that
this bill would never pass into law Irish cheersI'
II he believed that the people of England were
capabie Of sanctioning the measure ne would give
I'D forever the hope Of seeing the Irish and the
English shake hands The Irish people would be
slaves indeed if they submitted to 1t. Either hc
would leave country where lrishman could
live unless he lived like slave. or
If the people willing, he would
be proud and happy to lead them
In battle lCheersl. The measure could only
result in causing increased disoreanization ana
driving t1e people back to tho horrors OF former
years lCheersl Earl Spencer, believing his Nie
10 be in danger. had the courage to face the people
Ireland hike O man; but small credit was due 10
he nresent Government, who did not know the
dangers they were facing. lCries of "Oh. Oh J" and
sheersl More miserable excuses on which 70
found coercion had never been heard MI Baiiour
had succeeded in proving nothing but MS own
y iunOranca of the country which ne 6OuRnt W